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osius006

Page history last edited by Laura Gibbs 15 years, 10 months ago

 

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Leo, Iuvenca, Capra et Ovis

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 339.

 

Capra, Iuvenca, Leo sociis conatibus ibant

Venatum, studio quos quoque iuvit Ovis.

Praeda frequens illo, cum parta labore fuisset,

Quatuor in partes illa dirempta fuit.

Quo facto, pars prima Leo mihi debita praedae,

Me quia praestantem nemo negarit, ait.

Sic etiam nobis tribuenda secunda videtur,

Roboris hanc merui conditione mei.

Et quia magna mihi vis est exhausta laborum,

Tertia nos etiam iure sequetur, ait.

Dixerit esse suam qui quartam, sentiet hostem

Me sibi, quod poenae triste probabit opus.

Quid miserae facerent, hae cum sine viribus essent,

Sollicito mussant damna ferenda metu.

Audeat infestum quis confutare Leonem,

Verba quis irato non placitura loqui?

Qui ferus hac omnem praedam ratione tenebat.

Haec socio quamvis parta labore foret.

Quisquis amas aliquo iungi magnatibus usu,

Facta superba pati noveris esse tuum.

Est visum quaecumque gerunt impune potentes,

Qui negat illorum facta ferenda, premunt.

 

Here is the poem in a more prose-like word order for easy reading:

 

Capra, Iuvenca, Leo

ibant venatum sociis conatibus;

Ovis quoque iuvit hos studio.

Cum praeda frequens

parta fuisset illo labore,

illa dirempta fuit in quatuor partes.

Hoc facto,

Leo ait: "Pars prima praedae debita mihi,

quia nemo negarit me praestantem.

Sic etiam secunda videtur tribuenda nobis:

merui hanc conditione mei roboris.

Et quia magna vis laborum exhausta est mihi,

etiam tertia sequetur nos iure.

Qui dixerit quartam esse suam,

sentiet me hostem sibi:

triste opus poenae probabit hoc.

Quid facerent hae miserae

cum sine viribus essent?

Sollicito metu mussant damna ferenda.

Quis audeat confutare infestum Leonem,

quis audeat loqui irato verba non placitura?

Hac ratione ferus tenebat omnem praedam,

quamvis haec praeda parta foret socio labore.

Quisquis amas iungi magnatibus aliquo usu,

noveris tuum esse pati facta superba.

Potentes gerunt impune quaecumque visum est;

premunt qui negat facta illorum ferenda.

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Capra, Iu~venca, Le~o soci~is co~natibus ~ ibant

Vena~tum, studi~o = quos quoque ~ iuvit O~vis.

Praeda fre~quens il~lo, cum ~ parta la~bore fu~isset,

Quatuor ~ in par~tes = illa di~rempta fu~it.

Quo fac~to, pars ~ prima Le~o mihi ~ debita ~ praedae,

Me quia ~ praestan~tem = nemo ne~garit, a~it.

Sic eti~am no~bis tribu~enda se~cunda vi~detur,

Roboris ~ hanc meru~i = conditi~one me~i.

Et quia ~ magna mi~hi vis ~ est ex~hausta la~borum,

Tertia ~ nos eti~am = iure se~quetur, a~it.

Dixerit ~ esse su~am qui ~ quartam, ~ sentiet ~ hostem

Me sibi, ~ quod poe~nae = triste pro~babit o~pus.

Quid mise~rae face~rent, hae ~ cum sine ~ viribus ~ essent,

Sollicit~o mus~sant = damna fe~renda me~tu.

Audeat ~ infes~tum quis ~ confu~tare Le~onem,

Verba quis ~ ira~to = non placi~tura lo~qui?

Qui ferus ~ hac om~nem prae~dam rati~one te~nebat.

Haec soci~o quam~vis = parta la~bore fo~ret.

Quisquis a~mas ali~quo iun~gi mag~natibus ~ usu,

Facta su~perba pa~ti = noveris ~ esse tu~um.

Est vi~sum quae~cumque ge~runt im~pune po~tentes,

Qui negat ~ illo~rum = facta fe~renda, pre~munt.

 

Translation:

 

The Goat, the Heifer and the Lion went hunting together, having united their efforts; the Sheep also helped them with her zeal. When their efforts yielded abundant prey, that prey was divided into four parts. After this was done, the Lion said: "The first part of the prey is owed to me, because no one would deny that I am outstanding. So too the second part seems to be due to us: I have earned it by the condition of my power. And because the great force of my efforts have drained me, the third part will also go to us by right. Who would say that the fourth part belongs to him, he will know me as his enemy: the lamentable business of being punished by me will prove it." What could those poor creatures do, since they didn't have any physical force? With anxious fear they bore in silence the losses that they had to endure. Who would dare to rebuke the dangerous lion, who would dare to say things to an angry lion that he doesn't want to hear? For this reason, the wild beast got all the prey, even though the prey had been obtained by joint effort. Whoever you are, if you love to be joined to the high and mighty in any endeavor, be aware that it will be your fate to suffer their overbearing behavior. Powerful people do with impunity whatever seems good to them; they come down hard on anyone who refuses to put up with their actions.

 

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

 

Illustration:

 

Here is an illustration from the 1575 edition; click on the image for a larger view.

 

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